66 Aston Martin V12 Vantage: Hot-rod to love despite its faults

Aston is in the process of re-inventing itself, building factories at home and abroad to build new models such as the DB11 (the first Aston to use both turbocharging and bought-in Mercedes components), the forthcoming DBX (Aston’s first-ever 4x4) and even electric cars (starting with the battery-powered Rapid-E). Perhaps it’s all this change, then, which makes us love the mad, insane, tearaway Vantage V12 all the more. It’s a classic hot-rod recipe of small car (the Vantage rides on a chopped DB9 platform) and massive engine (6.0-litres and up to 571hp for the S model). You can find pretty much as many flaws in the Vantage as you like. Build quality is only average, it’s cramped, you can’t read the appallingly fiddly dials and the fly-off handbrake does your head in. And then you hear that deep, bassy growl, rising to a demented shriek as you pass 5,000rpm, feel the immense kick in the pants and revel in the steering feel and skittish adjustability as you crest your favourite mountain road. Many, even most, Aston Martins are really unattainable dream cars, but the V12 Vantage is a down-and-dirty, realistic road racer and all the more glorious for it. The future’s coming, but we’ll revel in the past just a little longer.

Price range: €280,000 (approx)

Co2 emissions: 388g/km

Which one? Manual, please…

PCP from €POA